Children of Expats – A Dream or a Nightmare

The contemporary integration of the world allows cultures to come together, and, commonly, people from different nationalities work together in public, government, and private spheres, which is the main characteristic of globalization. The transnational exchange of skilled workforce and professionals’ fields can result in many people leaving their own countries and traveling to other destinations.

Global immigration services demonstrate an upwards trend in the number of people migrating to different countries for studies and work. Commonly known as expats, it is usually considered a golden opportunity to work in a country other than your own.  While economic and social benefits are indeed a prime motive, some expats may face many problems, especially their children and spouses.

Settling in a New Country

Although cultural homogeneity and assimilation are a much talked about issue, acclimating in a new host country can pose many problems, like culture shock, discrimination, unusual cuisine, or extreme weather. Learning the system, laws, and customs may come across as problematic initially, and some expats cannot cope in their new environment.

In the case of children who also may miss their family and friends, this situation becomes quite severe. Social isolation and boycott by children who are not mature enough to understand these issues can cause stress for everyone. In places where the weather is very extreme and different, it can prohibit expats children from settling happily.

Separation from Parents

Sometimes the father or mother or both parents do not find it feasible to take their children along with them as they accept a new opportunity. Such parents and children usually suffer separation anxiety. In such situations, belligerents set in and can deteriorate into the absolute disconnect between family members. In some cases, such families cannot easily bridge the gap created by the situation, even after reuniting. Such children without parental supervision may also experience child and substance abuse. As adults, these expat children may never fully recover from there childhood trauma and may find it hard to achieve success in life.

Returning Back

When expat children return to their native country, usually as young adults, they are in for a reverse cultural shock. Upon returning, they are faced with an alien world even though it is their home country. This can be a substantial psychological set back for young people looking to participate in extraordinary activities, form similar social networks, and experience educational achievement – succeeding in their home country. Often, they are stuck in between the dilemma of an identity crisis between their home country and where they have spent their childhood, making older expat children feel alienated, insecure, and less successful.

The Other Side of the Picture

If families migrate and settle successfully, many benefits also await them, including better economic and social conditions, more progressive education for children, and a comfortable lifestyle. Expat children can be more grounded in the value of education and to the concept that education is both universally valued and cannot be taken away. Additional benefits are they are highly adaptive, able to cross-culture with ease, be more open-minded, more empathetic, bilingual, better at communication, and have exposure to international politics/social issues – exposing them to expanded career choices.

Nightmare or Dream

The life of expatriate children can be a nightmare. I believe parents can help their children adjust to the expatriate life if they communicate effectively, recognize signs of children needing extra support, and being positive and patient with their children to help them navigate this new life.

More often than not, the expatriate life of children is a Dream. The Dream can be that expat children travel the world, attain education achievement, develop their leadership skills, have an ecliptic social network of life-long friends, and rewarding career.